Darby

Darby
Jonathon Scott Fugua
5 Stars

While sitting at the library this week and watching my children play I looked up to see this book on the shelf. I have seen it there before, but I have never picked it up. Since it had an Iowa Children's Choice Award sticker on it I finally decided to pick it up and give it a chance. It's a children book and about 250 pages. I believe every child - probably around 10 years old - should read it and know the history that battled our southern states.

Darby Carmichael is a girl after my own heart. She wants to grow up to be a news paper girl. Her best friend, Evette, and her write a column for the Bennettsville Times in Marlboro County, South Carolina. While writing is great and she loves receiving all the compliments, it doesn't take long for her to realize that while a good newspaper girl only tries to tell the truth some people don't always want to hear it.

Set in 1926 this book examines the black/white issues that small southern towns faced. I personally spent many years growing up in the south and love small southern town stories such as this one. Darby, and her family, amazed me with her courage.

This was a very good story based on real interviews. It is very easy to read so there are no excuses!

Warriors Don't Cry

Warriors Don't Cry
Melba Pattillo Beals
5 Stars

While reading Darby, my mind kept referring back to the book Warriors Don't Cry, a book a read about a year ago. This non-fiction book is based on the "Little Rock 9" students who segregated Little Rock Central High School in 1957.

While living in Arkansas my mom picked this book up and read it. My husband then picked up the book at their home a few years later and brought it home to read himself. He never was able to read it and I tried a few times to read it without success. Finally last year I sat down and read the account told by Melba herself, who was one of the courageous students. It is an awesome story and very inspiring.

If you are light hearted book this is not the one to pick. She tells it how it was during that awful year and most of which is very hard to swallow. The fact that she stood through it all and graduated was amazing to me. I am not sure I would have the faith or endurance to do what she did. Thank goodness that someone did and that she shared her story with us. We are all better people because of it.

Mr Darcy's Diary

Mr. Darcy's Diary
Amanda Grange
4 Stars

I must be in a little big of a Jane Austen spin off rut because I saw this book and I had to read it after reading AustenLand. This tells the whole story of P & P from Mr. Darcy's point of view. It's very well done and I liked it well enough for 4 stars.

One thing that totally put me over the edge from 3 to 4 stars is in the last chapter or two of the book we get to see glimpses into the marriage of Mr and Mrs. Darcy. It's great. I love seeing how he softens up to her and knowing more of the story.

It didn't always read like a diary and that sometimes quirked me a little funny. If you are going to write something as a diary, then write it as a diary, but there were major points in this book that I felt it didn't come that way. Just name it Mr. Darcy's point of view and write it that way. I know this is a small thing, but for some reason it really bothered me.

It was cute though and if you love P & P then you will love this. I think it would make a great reading for a book club or any group of Austen fans.